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View Poll Results: Should food stamps only be redeemable for bulk staples and basic ingredients?

Re: Should we restrict food stamps to bulk staples and basic ingredients?

Originally Posted by Summerwind

Unfortunately many of the folks on food stamps are single parents already working two or more jobs lacking the time,

How many? There are 47 million Americans on food stamps, and 96.7% of Americans have a TV, and average 34 hours per week watching it. That doesn't even account for time online.

and may not have the extra resources to pay for the energy to cook those meals.

I highly doubt people can't pay for the electricity required to cook meals. At least not considering 47 million are receiving food stamps. There are not that many people who are truly that dirt poor.

It seems like you are trying to think of reasons why people couldn't possibly be inconvenienced to prepare food.

The food assistance program should be about there being enough food that people don't starve. It should not be about laying out a red carpet of accommodation to single parents, especially when huge corporations stand to profit from those policies.

Re: Should we restrict food stamps to bulk staples and basic ingredients?

Originally Posted by Neomalthusian

How many? There are 47 million Americans on food stamps, and 96.7% of Americans have a TV, and average 34 hours per week watching it. That doesn't even account for time online.

I highly doubt people can't pay for the electricity required to cook meals. At least not considering 47 million are receiving food stamps. There are not that many people who are truly that dirt poor.

It seems like you are trying to think of reasons why people couldn't possibly be inconvenienced to prepare food.

The food assistance program should be about there being enough food that people don't starve. It should not be about laying out a red carpet of accommodation to single parents, especially when huge corporations stand to profit from those policies.

Are you willing to go through that list of 47 million people and judge each as individual cases and see if any of those 47 million people should get food stamps?

"If you can't stand the way this place is, Take yourself to higher places!"
Break, By Three days grace

Re: Should we restrict food stamps to bulk staples and basic ingredients?

Rice.

Beans.

Meats/tofu/protein-heavy grains and vegetables.

Iodized salt.

That's it.

"Political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible. . . . Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness."
~Orwell, Politics and the English Language

Re: Should we restrict food stamps to bulk staples and basic ingredients?

Originally Posted by Neomalthusian

[snip]Eligible items could include single ingredient bulk staples like rice, beans, lentils, flour, pasta, basic spices, cooking oil, even sugar, and produce, eggs, and, what the hell, even some types of meat.

What do you all say?

I say God bless you. My thoughts exactly. I understand the less fortunate people with all my heart and want the best for them, and I understand that just as easily I could become one of them. But that does not excuse the logic - As a working man I have no television service, and it is in my understanding that many families on welfare have it. I drink no sodas, eat no potato chips. on my regular diet at the moment is sausage which contains road kill deer that I found a few months ago, not because I am poor, but because I value life and use common sense.

Re: Should we restrict food stamps to bulk staples and basic ingredients?

Originally Posted by pvsi

I say God bless you. My thoughts exactly. I understand the less fortunate people with all my heart and want the best for them, and I understand that just as easily I could become one of them. But that does not excuse the logic - As a working man I have no television service, and it is in my understanding that many families on welfare have it. I drink no sodas, eat no potato chips. on my regular diet at the moment is sausage which contains road kill deer that I found a few months ago, not because I am poor, but because I value life and use common sense.

I'm with you.

No TV, don't smoke, don't drink, no sodas, either. Heck, I even make my own pizza...dough and all.

Re: Should we restrict food stamps to bulk staples and basic ingredients?

I would be willing to pay even more taxes to allow them access to healthy ready made foods at places like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. That would be great. No alcohol. No soft drinks. No cigarettes. No nothin' that ain't healthy.